This invention relates to steel traps, and more particularly, to inserts for such traps which facilitate the setting and concealment thereof.
During the setting of traps, particularly those that are set on land, it is essential that the trap be bedded into the ground and that it be concealed so that the trap and surrounding area appears natural. After they are set, traps should be covered with a natural material such as dirt, clay, sand, snow or the like. When dirt or kindred material is placed on and around parts of a trap, care must be taken to keep such material away from the bait pan, the bait pan arm and the dog or latch bar. For example, if dirt or other material gets beneath the bait pan, it can prevent the proper triggering of the trap. Even when such components are free from dirt and the like when the trap is set, rain can dislodge it and cause it to fall under or upon these trap components, thereby impairing proper operation of the trap. Dirt and kindred material can be especially bothersome when they encounter a freezing rain.
Various tools and guards have been developed for the purpose of facilitating the setting of traps. U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,355 discloses a tool which permits dirt to be packed in the region of a set trap between the open jaws and the bait pan, while preventing dirt from getting too close to the bait pan. The method of that patent is disadvantageous in that the employment thereof to set or to remake a trap takes a few minutes at best. Also, water from rain and melting snow can clog the trap by eroding dirt against the jaws, levers and other trap parts, thus impairing operation of the trap. Furthermore, dirt within the trap jaws can become compacted by rain, thereby forming a depression which can alert an animal to the presence of the trap.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,231,406 and 1,868,714 disclose guards which are disposed under the bait pan of a set trap to prevent dirt from being packed beneath the pan. The guards consist of upper and lower surfaces such as plates which are spaced apart by a coiled spring which is held under tension. A fabric hood covers the top and sides of the guard. The device is placed below and in close contact with the bait pan when the trap is set. When the trap is covered with dirt or kindred material for the purpose of concealment, the tension afforded by the spring prevents the weight of such materials from depressing the trigger. Under the influence of an animal of proper weight, the trigger is usually depressed to effect release of the jaws. However, when such fabric covered guards are subjected to rain, ice or snow, their presence may hinder operation of the trap. For example, the fabric may become wet with rain or snow which can thereafter freeze. The resultant device beneath the bait pan can prevent a trap from being triggered by the desired animal.